2015

Summary

The Turbos entered 2015 as the newly promoted side in the premiership and with a largely different squad from 2014 with key players taking their trade to Europe including stalwarts Nick Crosswell and Mike FitzGerald.

The Green and White travelled to Pukekohe for their opening match taking on Counties Manukau. It became quickly very clear that the new look team were still finding their feet as Counties charged out to 20 point lead in the first 30min with the Turbos well and truly caught in the headlights. The team came out more settled in the second half outscoring Counties 21-17 to come up 1 point short of a draw.

The Turbos then headed back to the Manawatu to take on a Waikato side who they had previously beaten last season. However in what would become an all too familiar pattern for 2015 the Turbos let Waikato skip out to an 18pt lead inside the first 20mins. Again the Turbos would chase the gam in the second half outscoring Waikato 21-7 only to see poor execution stop them claiming a victory finally going down 28-21.

Following the frustration of the first two games the Turbos stared down a tough gauntlet on paper with 2014 runner up Tasman, eventual 2015 champions Canterbury and eventual 2015 finalists Auckland. Despite improved performances the Turbos struggle to keep up with the class of the heavy weights succumbing to heavy defeats in each game.

With the team 0-5 the Turbos headed into round six with a lot at steak with relegation looking likely. Sensing this urgency the Turbos put in a display more reminiscent with what fans were expecting from them in 2015 thumping Northland 42-17 at home to chalk up their first win. There was to be no wonder run though as the team was abruptly brought back down to earth in Invercargill, humbled by Southland 49-14. Despite the heavy defeat the team began to show they were beginning to gel as a unit as they refocussed to beat North Harbour at home.

As the season came to a close the tension around the relegation battle began to build with both Waikato and the Green and White in dismal contention. The Turbos would face reigning champions Taranaki at home in an important clash but again fall off the pace leaving their destiny out of their control for the final game of the season.

The team would travel to Wellington knowing that if they beat the Lions with a bonus point and Hawke’s Bay defended the shield against Waikato they would remain in the premiership. However in a shock upset Waikato snatched the shield from Hawke’s Bay dodging relegation in the process. With the pressure of the relegation battle well and truly over the Turbos completely outclassed Wellington to retain the Coronation Cup running out 39-33 winners with only a late Wellington surge making the score as close as it did.